MINDFULNESS · DHAMMAPADA 182
Awake in This Moment
Difficult (to obtain) is the conception of men, difficult is the life of mortals, difficult is the hearing of the True Law, difficult is the birth of the Awakened (the attainment of Buddhahood).
Dhammapada 182 · Chapter 14, The Buddha (The Awakened) · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg
Reflection
The verse begins, “Difficult (to obtain) is the conception of men, difficult is the life of mortals, difficult is….” In its chapter, this image points toward awakening as a lived discipline. Its value is practical when it changes how you meet one choice, relationship, or difficult feeling today. Because this is a historic English translation, test the teaching in experience rather than treating its wording as a demand for belief.
Practice prompt
What pulls you away from the present most often?